L5-6 Political and Transnational Islam

Question 1

How do sociologically modern individuals view islam

Answer 1

as a political ideology

- alternative to western

Question 2

When was the middle east included in the westphalia system?

Answer 2

19th cent

Question 3

describe the cyclical factors of the process of political islam

Answer 3

1. Agents have
2. Ideas (about islam) that are presented to an
3. Audience with call to
4. Action, which
5. Shifts milieu

Question 4

Describe features of the Wahabbi movement

Answer 4

Views on innovations within Islam (bid‘ah), Islamic monotheism (Tawhid) and polytheism (shirk)

Question 5

what aspect did said nursi push

Answer 5

education

Question 6

What are the two factors that contribute to Islamic Revivialism

Answer 6

Agents + environment

Question 7

Describe the cyclic process of Islamic revivalism

Answer 7

o State sponsored islam (states have addressed and set up ideas on what they believe is Islam (modern liberal, conservative, etc.), comes in form of laws etc.= top down.
• Laws introduced= society speaks up to those laws
o > Islam becomes reality in social level,
• but depending on way state is islamised > societal dynamics emerge and shape way state defines

Question 8

How is islamic revivalism not cyclical

Answer 8

• Not one given set of views in one time

* Communities= difference opinions

Question 9

Describe Turkey’s Revivalism

Answer 9

• groups emerged in society in response to states secular identity that was being presented to society
• Strong focus on secularism= denying muslim identity
• = emerge current Islamic government of islam

Question 10

Describe Pakistan’s Revivalism

Answer 10

•Intial: State for Muslims (human will paramount, divine will incorporated, + promoted religious tolerance)
>
• State= agent of more liberal + progressive understanding of islam
>
Process questioned after war with india
>
• uni students to create body to promote change
>
• State sponsored laws became more conservative
>
- Death of leader = Emergence of multiple view
>
Now= liberal, conservative, militant

Question 11

when was pakistan formed

Answer 11

1947

Question 12

what 3 ways is political islam understood

Answer 12

context, instrumentalization, agents

Question 13

is transnationalism a new concept in islam?

Answer 13

no • Embedded notion of Ummah

Question 14

what are the two perceptions of muslims towards the west

Answer 14

countered vs emulated

1. West is a discriminative and exploitative (+ how to counter this),
2. West gives lessons on how to improve situation they find themselves in

Question 15

what is the aim of both perceptions of the west for muslims

Answer 15

• Both ultimately aiming to find a way to reconnect and return to golden age

Question 16

what are the two types of muslim transnationalism

Answer 16

Political and normative

Question 17

describe normative muslim transnationalism

Answer 17

• Normative: focus on living life as muslims, operating in normal space= learn knowledge of islam, focus on everyday lived islam and more fluidity

Question 18

describe political muslim transnationalism

Answer 18

• Political: emphasis on membership and following rules and regulations of organizations, expectation of loyalty, focus on organisational structures

Question 19

What are the groups under political muslim transnationalism

Answer 19

• IGO:
- governments (guided by the same notion of umah and united identity)
• Political movement: muslim brotherhood
• Militant islamists

Question 20

what are the 3 strands of normative muslim transnationalism

Answer 20

o Progressive: interpret Islam from view of linking text to context, cannot have blind return to how islam was practiced years ago

o Conservatives: return to original practices= way to be good muslim (includes neo-salafi)

o Sufism

Question 21

What are the main ideas of Sufism

Answer 21

• Asceticism (built on Muhammad practice, repeat practices engaged by him) >
• Mysticism of Divine Love (love for god irrespective of need to go to heaven or fear of hell) >
• Fraternal orders of mystic knowledge -communicate inner meaning of islam to student)

Self and greater consciousness

unity of being (all existence as one)

Question 22

what is Ma’rifa vs learnedness in sufism teaching

Answer 22

Ma’rifa (inner knowledge) vs learnedness (focus on sharia etc. as while this enables you to be a muslim, you need inner knowledge of religion to become unity of being)

Question 23

is sufism fully normative?

Answer 23

• Normative, but has history of political (strong ties to) and social (via conversion) power

Question 24

what is the sufi (Fethullah) Gülen Movement/Hizmet

Answer 24

• Education as the route to improving consciousness
• Builds on Said Nursi’s ideas; muslim reconnecting with knowledge
• Apolitical: on surface, focused on giving education to Muslims, not organised, everyday connections
• Political: focus on transnationalism as expanded to other countries, when educated graduate, influence others= can be political